From Solstice to Equinox
by FrecklesForevermore
Summary: Jareth gets stuck Aboveground and has to wait from Solstice to Equinox to get back to the Underground. Lucky for him he has Sarah to fall back on and Sarah now has to deal with him and college...oh boy!
1. Chapter 1

**As quickly as his little legs would allow him, Hoggle, the dwarf, hobbled up the front steps of The Castle of the Center of the Labyrinth. Jareth, the Goblin King, had summoned him to the throne room. The pint-sized man grumbled to himself as he ascended. "What's his majesty wants this time? Callin' on me in the middle of planning or the festival tomorrow. I gots plans of me own! Tsk, prolly drunk again, been drinkin' toos much since Sarah's been here. Why's he gotta make me suffer alongs with 'im?"**

 **The odor of stale Goblin Ale permeated the corridor through the open archway of the throne room. Goblins were amuck all over the place. The inebriated lot were singing and carrying on in little competitions of drunken stamina. Many of the sauced little creatures failed and would roar with laughter at each other.**

 **Upon a stone dais, lounging in his curved throne, Jareth snickered at a particularly rowdy bunch who tried to build a goblin made pyramid. The stunt was destined for disaster. A couple of smaller goblins were placed in the base as a few of the more girthy and larger of the breed tried to climb to the top. Before one of the drunken louts could throw up his hands in victory, one of the smaller goblins strength gave away and the whole lot came tumbling down.**

 **Jareth laughed into his goblet of ale as he watched the brood try and untangle themselves. Hoggle was glad, and sighed with relief, to see his monarch in mirthful spirits this time. A few times before, after being summoned by the King, the dwarf had to deal with him in a few alcohol influenced bad moods. At times like those Hoggle had to be quick-witted and try not to infuriate the King more or suffer dire consequences. On one occasion the King was inconsolable and in a bout of anger, apparated Hoggle to the Bog of Eternal Stench. Lucky for him, the King's ability to focus his magic was clouded by ale and placed him on the edge of the shore of the bog. That was a close one, but who is to say that it wouldn't happen again? Jareth had been like that for about four years now since he had been beaten at his own game by a young human woman. He was in a constant state of brooding and countered it by drinking. Although he tried to numb himself with ale, wine, and spirits, he could be seen conjuring up a crystal orb and begin to stare into its depths, with a longing look.**

 **The nervous dwarf approached the dais, cleared his throat, and bowed, "Ahem, your Majesty."**

 **"What, Higgle?"**

 **"Hoggle..."**

 **"Mmm...yes, what do you want?" the Fae man snapped with annoyance.**

 **Hoggle furrowed his brow in confusion, "You summoned me here. I left the festival planning right away, your Majesty, and came here."**

 **" I did no such thing. Why would I need a little scab like you?" Jareth muttered while downing the last of the ale in his goblet. "Go away..."**

 **As Hoggle turned away to leave, Jareth sat up straight in his throne.**

 **"Wait!"**

 **Hoggle turned to face his king.**

 **"What was that noise?"**

 **"Wh-what noise?"**

 **Jareth turned to the hoard of goblins, "Silence!" he yelled. The din of noise did not cease. "I said SILENCE YOU IDIOTS!", he shouted. Some of the nearby goblins who had heard the king shout had quieted down. Alas towards the back of the room there were still a rowdy bunch of noise makers who didn't hear him. Jareth conjured a crystal sphere and threw it at the loud bunch. On contact, they disappeared in a cloud of glitter. The other goblins who watched oohed and awwed at their king's power. "I said shut up or you will be bogged just like your friends!"**

 **Just as soon as the noise stopped, a small and distant female voice sounded. "Hoggle? Hoggle, I need you!"**

 **Jareth looked towards the dwarf and stood from his throne. Hoggle turned cold with fear and began to back up. His stumpy little legs were no match for the King's long strides that reached him in no time.**

 **Hoggle began to shake in fear as his King towered over him. "What pray tell, was that Goggle?"**

 **"Uh, you sees...uh..."**

 **Jareth spied something glinting from the trinkets and objects that hung from Hoggle's belt, better known as his "jewels". "What's that?" asked Jareth pointing to the object.**

 **"What? Oh, that? Oh, it's nothing..."**

 **Jareth snatched the bundle from the little man's belt. Upon closer inspection, there was a small gilt-handled looking glass. He was observing the reflective surface, catching his reflection as just any other looking glass would have done. While he was admiring his visage, the reflective surface glowed and flashed.**

 **"Hoooggllle?", the voice called again, and this time from the looking glass.**

 **Jareth reached down and grabbed the dwarf's ear and began to pull hard, "Heggle, you have some explaining to do!"**


	2. 2

**Sarah called again through her vanity mirror, "Hooogggllle?"** ** _Where is he?_** **she asked herself. She wanted to show him the dress that she was going to wear to the Rennaisance Festival in the park tomorrow. She was planning on taking him to go see A Midsummers Night Dream that the festival was producing on behalf that tomorrow was Midsummers Day. It was one of the few days a year that Hoggle was able to go Above Ground. No one at the festival would think twice about seeing a girl with an actual dwarf. They probably would assume he is just one of the play actors among many portraying mythical beings and creatures. She really wanted to get his opinion on the maiden's dress that she had picked out for herself and if it needed any last minute embelishments.**

 ** _Perhaps he is busy, he did say he was helping with the MIdsummer Festival that is being held in the Goblin City tomorrow._**

 **What a lot of fun it must be to celebrate among the lively creatures of the Underground...save for one, the Goblin King. He seemed a little sadistic and selfish. If anything happened contrary to the way he liked he would likely ruin the festivities for everyone.**

 **Thoughts of him loomed up in her mind. Familliar unanswered questions of 'what if' resurfaced. She recalled his serious and odd eyes. Staring into her, wanting to unlock her.**

 **The young woman shook her head to stop the straying thoughts.** ** _I cant keep thinking like that! I cant keep thinking of him!_** **It had been over four years since her stint into the Labyrinth. There had not been a day go by that in some form or fashion that her thoughts would stray to that event. It changed her life forever. The wonder and mystique of the mythical world was proven factual. All that she was taught to believe was turned on it's ear. The lessons of physics and biology that she learned while attending school were contrary. As well as ideals on theology and evolution were conflicting. She learned early not to say too much about her points of view on any of the subject matters. Not long after her return from the Labyrith, people gave her odd looks when she would mention anything about or in comparison to the place. One night she heard her parents discuss in hushed tones downstairs of their concern for her wild imagination and her sudden change of attitue, especially to them and Toby. They discussed the possiblilty that she might be delusional and needed thereapy. How could they think that she was delusional? From that time foreward she was guarded about revealing anything concerning the Labyrinth. She kept her mirror to mirror visits with her friends to hushed tones. Only on the days that the veil between the Above Ground and the Underground was thinnest that she would get excited due to the opportunity that her friends could come and visit. Once she took all three: Ludo, Sir Didymus and Hoggle, Trick or Treating on Holloween. Sarah insisted that she would take Toby out that year and was soon joined by the enormous Rock Caller, the corrageous fox-terrier knight astride his sheep dog steed and the always cantankerous dwarf. Homeowners were taken aback to see a little boy dressed as a cowboy standing next to a great hairy...something, yelling 'trick or treat'. No one seemed the wiser, it was deffinately a night to remember.**

 **This year on Midsummer's Day, only Hoggle was able to attend. Sir Didymus was preoccupied with his new post that he swore to uphold steadfastly and could not attend. Ludo apparently had succumbed to the Rock Caller migration that happened once every one hundered years or so. Sarah thought it would be an adventure if she were to go with Ludo on the migration. To see where they come from, and see all sorts of Rock Callers. Ludo was the only one in the region of the Labyrinth. The gentle giant tried to convey to his friend in his basic vocabulary that other Rock Callers lived in adjacent lands. She will miss his gentleness and Didymus' exuberance to everything this summer. Perhaps she and Hoggle would build a stronger bond at this event. She longed to show off the Above Ground to him. Alas, they can't do the same for her. They all deemed it not safe for her to return. The only means that they knew of were for her to enter the Underground was to use the "Right Words". Although the Goblin King had granted her certain powers, the ability to enter the Underground at will was not one of them.**

T **he young woman heaved a sigh of mild frustration. Her outfit would have to do she decided since Hoggle was not responding to her attempts to contact him. He must be pretty busy, she guessed. Oh well, she will see him in the morning. She carefully removed the period inspired attire carefully and hung it up with care. She was excitedly planning out tomorrow's events in her mind as she began her nightly routine for bed. She really wanted to show Hoggle everything at the festival. It was going to be so much fun!**

 **Little did she know that she was not the only one making plans for tomorrow. The Goblin King was hatching his own itinerary for tomorrow's festivities. He grinned at all the delicious scenarios that hatched in his mind.** Oh **tomorrow was going to be fun indeed. The girl and her friends were so naive thinking that he wouldn't ever find out about their little secret rendezvous.**


End file.
